After I finished making a quick run across the border to Laos to grab a new Thai visa and all the chocolate croissants and baguette sandwiches I could get my hands on, Dan came up to meet me for a little tour of northeastern Thailand.
We rented a motorbike in order to more easily explore the towns along the Mekong River, and our first stop was a statue park outside of the border town of Nong Khai!
Wat Khaek (or Sala Keoku) was designed by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat in the mid 1970s, and oh my goodness it is a trippy place. I had already visited another park designed by Sulilat, the Buddha Park outside of Vientiane, Laos (started in 1958), but Wat Khaek was at least a few steps up on the crazy scale.
Buddha Park 
While I had been impressed by the imposing statues of Buddha Park, reflecting a bizarre mixture of Buddhism and Hinduism, Wat Khaek’s statues were even bigger, and even more bizarre. Lying just a short motorbike or bicycle ride outside of Nong Khai, it made for the perfect day trip from Nong Khai!
Wat Khaek
In Nong Khai we stayed at E-San Guest House, where we paid 250 baht for a very comfortable double fan room.
Corinne says
Sylvia, I love looking at all the bizarre creatures and statues that make up the Hindu and Buddhist temple parks. Your photos surely do them justice as well! I love Thailand.
Silvia says
I love it too, Corinne. I could spend hours in parks like these! Well, if only Thailand were not so sweltering right now…
Simmi says
It looks so gorgeous! Northern Thailand is definitely on my bucket list!